


nighttime

by warptimeandspace



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Non-Graphic Violence, Reaper Squad, discussion of varying lich ceremonies, just... you know... liches!, midnight raid planning, the violence is a result of necromancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 03:05:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17357750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warptimeandspace/pseuds/warptimeandspace
Summary: the reaper squad prepares for a raid in the middle of the night





	nighttime

Kravitz drops into the middle of Lup and Barry’s kitchen, their fluorescent lights already cutting through the early morning darkness. They’re both sitting next to each other at their kitchen table, a leather book spread open between them. There are notes on the pages in two different hands, drawn in via the single ballpoint pen on the table that they must have been passing between them.   
  
“Mornin’ Krav,” Lup says, unsurprised by his appearance.  
  
“There’s still coffee,” Barry offers. 

Kravitz pulls a mug out of the cabinet and fills it nearly full. “You still have that cake batter creamer?" He asks.   
  
_“No,”_ Barry says quickly.   
  
“He hid it,” Lup says, not looking up from the book. “Top shelf, behind the hummus. I’ll make more Bear, I promise.”   
  
Kravitz finds the hidden creamer and dumps a tablespoon into the cup.   
  
“Thanks,” He says as he sits down beside them at the table. “What’s in the book?”  
   
Lup sighs. “You remember last month when we had to shut down those frankly uncool blood magicians who convinced people to donate blood to help people and instead stole their blood for rituals and shit? We broke up the ring and dropped a couple of dumbasses into the militia’s office gift-wrapped?”   
  
Kravitz nods. “Yes, that was super illegal and all over very shitty but technically blood magic isn’t necromancy. We had a discussion with Her Majesty about how we couldn’t throw them into the stockade. They weren’t technically in her domain, so they needed to go through mortal trials first.”   
  
“I was very angry and set a curtain on fire. I remember.” Lup says. “Anyways, they graduated to upper-level necromancy and killed a more than dozen people within the last twelve hours so our city now.”   
  
“Wow,” Kravitz says. “I mean, I’m not surprised but that was very sudden. Do we know why they’re killing?”   
  
Barry turns the book to face Kravitz on the table. “Couple of ideas,” He says carefully. “They could be Keepers, killing to try and bypass death in the future. They’d harvested blood for spell components before, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched.”  
  
“You don’t seem convinced,” Kravitz says, “What’s the other option?”   
  
“They could also be trying to turn themselves into liches without proper training or understanding of the forces their dealing with,” Barry says, “The lich rules where we did it were different. The sacrifices were mostly internal, our souls and our bodies on the line. What little blood we needed Taako gave us. When we told Lucretia, she documented the process thoroughly and it was sent out with The Story, Here—”   
  
“You need an unwilling external sacrifice,” Kravitz says. “They’re still doing this?”   
  
“They’ve done two rounds of rituals since nightfall, a couple of hours apart,” Barry says. “There might be a flaw with the ritual they need to correct before they’re successful. I’ve done a scan and there hasn’t been any abnormal necromantic energy tonight so whatever they’re trying hasn’t worked so far. They’ll only have time for one more ritual before they have to pack it up for the night.”   
  
Kravitz drains his cup of coffee in one very long swallow. ”We’re running out of nighttime, ” he says, ”Let’s shut this down.”

**Author's Note:**

> i thought that this was going to be part of a larger fic i'm trying to write but it doesn't work at all and that's cool i guess because here it is now! also in dnd the ways that liches are formed has changed a lot over the years and it's very interesting. given the option, i would write a paper about the evolution of this very cool game.  
> check ya girl out on [tumblr](https://warptimeandspace.tumblr.com/), thanks for reading and i love you!


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